Definition of CLEAVES (original) (raw)
: to adhere firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly
They kept themselves strictly separate, each cleaving to their own language, rituals, and food.—
Gourmet
Notice was served on the Democratic party that it must cleave to the Jackson line if it wanted the labor vote.—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
The film's script has the same lack of pretension, cleaving to the teen movie formula with its high school cliques, clowns and bullies …—Sandra Hall
1
: to divide by or as if by a cutting blow : split
The blow cleaved the victim's skull.
2
: to separate into distinct parts and especially into groups having divergent views
The political party was cleaved by internal bickering.
3
: to subject to chemical cleavage
a protein cleaved by an enzyme
1
: to split especially along the grain
The ax easily cleaved through the log.
2
: to penetrate or pass through something by or as if by cutting
The ship's bow cleaved through the water.
Did you know?
Cleave is part of an exclusive lexical club whose members are known as contronyms: words that have two meanings that contradict one another. In the case of cleave the two meanings belong to two etymologically distinct words. One cleave means “to adhere firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly,” as in “a family that cleaves to tradition”; it comes from the Old English verb clifian, meaning “to adhere.” The cleave with meanings relating to splitting and dividing comes from a different Old English word, clēofan, meaning “to split.” So although one might assume the two were once cleaved to one another only to become cloven over time, such is not the case!
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for cleave
Verb (1)
couldn't get the label to stick
adhere is often interchangeable with stick but sometimes implies a growing together.
antibodies adhering to a virus
cohere suggests a sticking together of parts so that they form a unified mass.
eggs will make the mixture cohere
cling implies attachment by hanging on with arms or tendrils.
clinging to a capsized boat
cleave stresses strength of attachment.
the wet shirt cleaved to his back
Verb (2)
rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint.
ripped the shirt on a nail
rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering.
an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes
split implies a cutting or breaking apart in a continuous, straight, and usually lengthwise direction or in the direction of grain or layers.
cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow.
a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak
rive occurs most often in figurative use.
a political party riven by conflict
Examples of cleave in a Sentence
Verb (1)
you should resolutely cleave to the facts in your report
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
Middle English clevien, from Old English clifian; akin to Old High German kleben to stick
Verb (2)
Middle English cleven, from Old English clēofan; akin to Old Norse kljūfa to split, Latin glubere to peel, Greek glyphein to carve
First Known Use
Verb (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of cleave was before the 12th century
Dictionary Entries Near cleave
Cite this Entry
“Cleave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleave. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.
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